Luxembourg American Cultural Society Explores Cultural, Historical Ties in Luxembourg

The Luxembourg American Cultural Society (LACS) is currently on a nine-day visit to the Grand Duchy entitled the "National Day Tour", arriving on 15 June 2025 to explore the country, with some applying for Luxembourgish citizenship and passports.

Tour leader, Patricia Lutz, LACS director, when taking with Chronicle.lu, explained "We are bringing a group of 32 people from America here, from the ages of 18 months to 84 years, so we have a wide variety of people. We had two people get their dual citizenship, and we had 19 people getting their passports. We are going to be here through National Day, so we're excited to see the fireworks, go to the Te Deum, the parade,... So this is a really good opportunity for everyone to really get a feel of Luxembourg".

Based at the Hôtel Parc Belle-Vue in Luxembourg city centre, the 32-strong group, including both Joe and Karen Jasper - the "Duke and Duchess" appointed at last August's Luxembourg Fest in Wisconsin - has a packed itinerary, including a mix of museum visits, guided tours and festivities around the national day, as well exploring other cultural and historical ties:

- a guided tour of the Old City of Luxembourg with Jean Ensch and Caroline Resch
- the American Military Cemetery in Luxembourg-Hamm, where they laid a wreath in honour of the soldiers of World War II buried there, including General Patton
- a guided tour of the Basilica St. Willibrord and Museum of the Abbey in Echternach, as well as the Hopping Procession Museum and Abbey Museum
- visit the Luxembourg City Museum
- a meeting with Maurice Bauer, Deputy Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, at the Hotel de Ville
- a visit to the Lёnster Lycée International School in Junglinster, to observe cultural and educational exchanges with visiting US classes (HS North Sheboygan and HS Random Lake and Cedar Grove Belgium)
- a guided tour of the MUDAM Museum of Modern Art in Luxembourg-Kirchberg
- a guided tour of the Musée Dräi Eechelen (3 Acorns Museum in Luxembourg-Kirchberg
- free time during which tour group members could visit the Abbaye de Neumunster or the Bock or Pétrusse Casemates
- a guided tour of the Philharmonie concert hall, followed by attending a classical concert - music of Richard Strauss with Diana Damrau (soprano), Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) and Helmut Deutsch (piano) - and dinner at the Philharmonie
- a visit to Bastogne to see both the Battle of the Bulge Museum and Schumann’s Eck (outdoor WII memorial site)
- a visit to the Battle of Bulge Museum in Diekirch
- a presentation on "An Introduction to Genealogy" by Jean Ensch
- a guided tour of the National Archives by Nadine Zeien and Nicky Blazejewski
- a guided tour of the Europe Museum in Schengen and the recently-renovated Princess Marie-Astrid Europa, on which the Schengen Treaty had been signed on 14 June 1985, including an address by former Ambassador Carlo Krieger on the European Union and the privileged relations between the US and Luxembourg
- wine tasting at Cave Sunnen-Hoffman in Remerschen
- visits to family ancestral homes
- a guided tour of Metz (France) with Carlo Krieger
- a visit to Vianden Castle
- a visit to the Family of Man Exhibition in Clervaux
- (on Sunday 22 June) a National Day festive dinner at the hotel, leading up to the fireworks display
- (on Monday 23 June) attending the National Day ceremonies, including the military parade and Te Deum service at Luxembourg Cathedral, followed by a "Friends and Family dinner" at the hotel with invited guests
- visit the Luxembourg Urban Garden Exhibition (LUGA) in the Pétrusse valley

Chronicle.lu also got talking with the Deputy Mayor of Luxembourg City, Maurice Bauer, before his meeting with the group; he said: "We are always happy to meet with such groups of Americans to discover Luxembourg and the City of Luxembourg; some of them have relatives here in Luxembourg. Some of the group also apply for dual nationality. I think for the City of Luxembourg, it is always interesting to meet with these people as they are really committed to this country and the city; therefore we are always happy to share a moment with them to explain a bit more about the city of Luxembourg, how we function, how we are operating with more than 71% of non-nationals, I think which could not be imaginable for them, and therefore I think it's quite a nice exercise".

The LACS will return to the Grand Duchy later in the year in December, for a "Luxembourg Holiday Tour" from 27 November to 7 December which will take in, amongst other things, the Christmas markets. Last month, in May 2025, another 68-strong group also visited Luxembourg, organised by Luxembourg Adventures by Kevin Wester, culminating in participating in the 250th anniversary Oktave celebrations and the launching of the Luxembourg American Foundation.

The LACS is also currently preparing for its 39th annual Luxembourg Fest to be held over four days from 7-10 August 2025 in Belgium, Wisconsin.